15 Best Soap Performances of 2025
Over the last 12 months, the five daytime dramas — Beyond the Gates, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless — gave viewers a plethora of powerful performances.
Soap opera writers come up with all kinds of scenarios for our favorites to play. A character can watch an ex-spouse remarry, find out that their mate has an illegitimate child, discover that his or her family wants them to retire, or be forced to deal with their own mortality.
The actors on daytime take these heightened scenarios and play them with gusto and vulnerability as they strive to connect with audiences that remain devoted to them.
Before we get to our 15 Best Soap Performances of 2025, we’ve got some honorable mentions that deserve to be given a shoutout. They are: Y&R‘s Zuleyka Silver (Audra), Tricia Cast (Nina), and Christian LeBlanc (Michael); B&B‘s Annika Noelle (Hope), Cassandra Creech (Grace) and Rebecca Budig (Taylor); DAYS‘s Eric Martsolf (Brady), Martha Madison (Belle), and Lauren Koslow (Kate); GH‘s Maura West (Ava), Laura Wright (Carly), and Carlo Rota (Jenz), and BTG‘s Karla Mosley (Dani), Clifton Davis (Vernon), Timon Kyle Durrett (Bill), and Lauren Buglioli (Vanessa).
Read on to see TV Insider’s take on the Top 15 Performances of 2025!
15. Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, The Young & the Restless)
Michelle Stafford plays Phyllis as “balls to the wall” in nearly every situation she finds herself, but her vulnerability always shines through. There’s never been anyone quite like her on soaps, and there may never be again. Whether she’s playing cat-and-mouse with her lover, Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn), over his stolen Artificial Intelligence software or staring down Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) across the table at Society, Stafford employs a steely gaze in scenes that keeps us frozen in our tracks — and we’re safely on the other side of our TV screens! On paper, Phyllis’s toast to newlyweds Danny (Michael Damian), her ex-husband, and Cricket (Lauralee Bell) sounded like she was supporting the reunited couple, but simmering underneath was a woman who wanted to race to the nearest rental car agency (IYKYK). Phyllis’s heart was breaking when she raised her glass to the newlyweds. Cane may live on a literal train, but Phyllis? She’s a trainwreck — one we can’t stop watching.
14. Daphnée Duplaix (Nicole, Beyond the Gates)
We’ve seen plenty of marital breakups over infidelity on soaps, but when Daphnée Duplaix‘s Nicole told off her cheating husband Ted (Maurice Johnson; now, Keith D. Robinson), we nearly literally felt her pain. Some actresses do a deeper immersion into their character so they can truly sell the big emotions. That’s just what Duplaix did when Nicole attempted to tell Ted how devastated she was. “You’re not the man I married, and I want him back,” Nicole mourned. “Bring me back the man I met in Hawaii. The one that swore to protect my heart, swept me off my feet, and promised to love only me, forever. I want his arms around me. I need him right now because I do not know the man that stands before me.” (These are the scenes to beat at the 2026 Daytime Emmys.)
13. Scott Clifton (Liam, The Bold and the Beautiful)
Soaps used to be morality plays and as far as Liam Spencer is concerned, they still are. After finding out that his father, Bill Spencer (Don Diamont), had sprung Luna (Lisa Yamada) from prison, he went over to confront his pop. On one hand, the show wanted Luna out of jail so she could interact with the rest of the cast of characters, so Bill, who once got Sheila (Kimberlin Brown), out of jail, did the same for Luna. But that just didn’t sit right with Liam. After all, Luna had killed Tom (Clint Howard) and Hollis (Hollis. W. Chambers) and nearly killed Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood). Liam couldn’t wrap his head around Bill’s actions. It’s one thing to feel like your head is going to explode, but Scott Clifton made us feel that Liam’s had done just that, which was a good thing since the character suffered an intracranial hemorrhage. This led to Liam being lied to that his condition was fatal, giving Clifton the opportunity to shine with humanity as he played Liam’s mortality.
12. Tamara Tunie (Anita, BTG)
We may never know exactly how many former As the World Turns viewers gave Beyond the Gates a shot because the show had cast Tamara Tunie (ex-Jessica, ATWT) as BTG matriarch Anita Dupree; however, we can’t help but think that somewhere, late Oakdale matriarchs Nancy Hughes, Lucinda Walsh, and Lisa Mitchell Grimaldi are smiling down on Anita Dupree of Fairmont Crest. Tunie brings a commanding presence to her role as Anita, the female head of the Dupree family. She supports her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and, especially, her husband, Vernon (Clifton Davis). Anita and Vernon’s love story is a joy to watch. As the year is coming to an end, the writers may be placing Anita’s health in jeopardy, but we have no doubt that Tunie will bring grace and strength to this or whatever comes Anita’s way.
11. Beth Maitland (Traci, Y&R)
Everyone deserves love — or so we’re told. Well, Traci allowed herself to believe that when charming Alan Laurent (Christopher Cousins) showered her with sweet words and affection. Then, we watched Beth Maitland play Traci as a woman who slowly began to doubt her reality as she suspected that Alan was, in reality, his evil twin, Martin (also played by Cousins). We witnessed Maitland give one tour de force over another as Traci wept not only for the love that she lost but for the realization that she never had it with “Alan” at all. We’ve seen Traci valiantly try to rebuild her life following her ordeal. Traci felt horrible after learning that Martin was the man behind Phyllis and Sharon’s (Sharon Case) tormentor. Martin’s been gone for a while now, but Maitland didn’t have Traci flick a light switch and simply declare she was over him. It’s taking time for that to happen. Brava!
10. Kathleen Gati (Leisl, General Hospital)
The news of Daytime Emmy-winner Kelly Thiebaud‘s return as Dr. Britt Westbourne to GH gave us lots of reasons to cheer. One of the biggest ones was that it meant the overdue reintroduction of Britt’s mother, Leisl, to the story canvas. Kathleen Gati plays Dr. Obrecht as someone with whom you don’t want to mess. She’ll cut you in an instant, and she won’t need a scalpel to do it. However, Gati’s Leisl is far more than someone who fires off zingers and threatens her opponents. When you least expect it, she’ll deliver a line that’s heartfelt, tender, and loving. At one of Willow’s (Katelyn MacMullen) aborted weddings to Drew (Cameron Mathison), Leisl gently approached Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn), whom she hadn’t seen since her daughter, Sam (Kelly Monaco), had died. “My condolences on the loss of your daughter,” Leisl said, believing at the time that Britt was truly gone. “We are members of a terrible club.”
9. Alice Halsey (Rachel, Days of our Lives)
The Bad Seed‘s Rhoda Penmark (Patty McCormack) wouldn’t have stood a chance against Alice Halsey‘s Rachel. The Salem youngster is a pro at manipulating adults, and while she appears to be horrified that she shot her uncle EJ (Dan Feuerriegel), she’s actually a bit more upset that she wound up in Bayview sanitarium because of it. Rachel doesn’t miss a beat. If someone casually asks her how she’s doing, we see Rachel processing what the person’s true motives are. She may not cut a bitch, but she’ll sneak pistachios into your ice cream if you’re allergic to them like she did with Sarah (Linsey Godfrey). Despite Rachel’s evil ways, Halsey still plays her character like a hurt little girl at times. We’d predict that actress is headed for stardom, but Hollywood has beaten us to that. Halsey is set to play Laura Ingalls in Netflix’s reboot of Little House on the Prairie.
8. Trisha Mann-Grant (Dana Leslie Thomas, BTG)
Every soap needs a “have-not,” and that’s what BTG has in Trisha Mann-Grant‘s Dana (or Leslie, take your pick), a woman who never fails to bring some energy and tension to Fairmont Crest! The beauty of Mann-Grant’s performances is that Dana/Leslie refuses to behave as a “have-not.” The actress shines in every scene she’s in, but she especially took center stage at Nicole and Ted’s anniversary party in which her and Ted’s love child, Eva (Eva Ambyr Michelle), came to light. Leslie took her sweet time to sandblast the gala with the news that Ted had fathered a child out of wedlock. “I thought you’d be thrilled when I told you I was pregnant,” Leslie told Ted in front of his family, in-laws, and invited guests. “Spoiler alert! You were not! In fact, He told me that He was gonna stay with his precious Nicole.” Eva’s mom added, “Leslie Thomas doesn’t roll over for anybody!” That’s we’re counting on. Brava!
7. Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH)
Daytime Emmy winner Cynthia Watros never fails to deliver a performance that’s appropriate for the moment, captivating us in the process. Nina made jokes about disinfecting her office after coming upon a half-naked Michael (Rory Gibson) and Jacinda (Paige Herschell) before issuing her assistant a stern warning about her future. Watros turns into a mother possessed as she works overtime to make sure Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) doesn’t take the fall for shooting Drew (Cameron Mathison). And in those rare moments that are all too infrequent for our tastes, Nina will bump into her ex, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard.) In that moment, we’re transported back to Nixon Falls where we knew Sonny as “Mike,” a much kinder, gentler man. Another instance in which Watros touched our hearts was when Nina said goodbye to Sasha (Sofia Mattsson). “Our relationship may have started with a lie, but it’s real now,” Nina said. “I think of you like my daughter.”
6. Paul Telfer (Xander, DAYS)
Daytime Emmy-winner Paul Telfer defies that myth that hunks on soaps can’t act. The performer, often shirtless, is a powerful leading man, who makes viewers swoon one minute, and audiences will marvel at, and even fear, his intensity in the next. We might have been OK if it had never came out between a reconciled Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) and Xander that he nearly beat his brother Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) to within an inch of his life; however, secrets don’t stay secrets forever on soaps. Sarah told her husband she couldn’t be with him anymore. Telfer played Xander’s regret (he can’t see his daughter Victoria as easily anymore) with the humility of a tragic character from Shakespeare. “How is it the only friend that I have left in the world is the brother I almost killed?” pondered Xander. Telfer finds a way to mix intensity and vulnerability as he captivates audiences.
5. Genie Francis (Laura, GH)
It’s fitting that Laura re-won her election as Mayor of Port Charles because her portrayer, Genie Francis, is the rock of GH. Recently, the show’s writers tasked Francis with playing Laura’s horror over the death of Henry Dalton (Daniel Goddard) and discovering the professor’s corpse in her trunk. It’s giving us throwbacks to the fear Laura felt as a teenager after she accidentally killed lecherous David Hamilton, played by Jerry Ayres. (Yep, some of us have been watching that long!) Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) may have the upper hand for now, but Laura is nobody’s victim, which we suspect he’ll eventually discover. When she’s not scrambling to outmatch her foes, Francis’s Laura plays the loving and protective lioness to her children and grandchildren like nobody’s business. The actress is at the top of her game.
4. Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R)
There’s a lot of business jargon, storylines, and alliances to keep straight on Y&R, but Eric Braeden always cuts to the human emotions that underly those tales. Whether he’s plotting revenge against Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) or giving Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) some mild respect for doing her best to break up Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Claire (Hayley Erin), Braeden’s Victor is always in control. The actor had us captivated in scenes with Michelle Stafford’s Phyllis at Society when the redhead tried to act as if she were in a power position. “Has it occurred to you that Cane Ashby may do a lot of damage to Nicholas and Summer when he’s through with his shenanigans,” Victor said, not so much as a question, but a statement. “That doesn’t matter to you, does it? You’re that desperate right? Why do I even ask that question. Of course you are. You always were.” Burn.
3. Deidre Hall (Marlena, DAYS)
Of all the soaps, Days of our Lives does the Lazarus bit the most with its characters. Bo (Peter Reckell), Hope (Kristian Alfonso), Roman (Josh Taylor), and Marlena (Deidre Hall) have all come back from the dead after they’ve presumably perished. However, John Black wasn’t going to be making a return trip from that great soap opera in the sky as his portrayer, beloved Drake Hogestyn, passed away in real life. Therefore, Deidre Hall, arguably, was tasked with a different kind of acting as Marlena sat by a dying (and bandaged) John’s bedside. Her speech about their love just hit differently because of the real-life circumstances. “I always knew exactly who you were,” Marlena said to the man who had many origins. “You were the man that saved my life. You were the man that protected me, even during my darkest hours. You are the strongest, the kindest, the gentlest man I have ever known. You are…you will always be the great love of my life.”
2. John McCook (Eric, B&B)
The show’s creative team has thrown yet another monumental storyline at John McCook, one of B&B‘s original cast members, and the actor is rising to the challenge just as he did when Eric faced death and erectile dysfunction. The patriarch’s family is trying to get the creative genius and Forrester Creations founder to retire. No one wants to feel dismissed, but that’s what Eric’s been forced to endure. “The one thing I want to do more than anything else is design,” Eric barked at his family. “Because that’s all I care about and that’s what I’m going to be doing until the day I die. This is my legacy…” The moment in which Eric walked into his own office and saw that retirement sign needs to be on McCook’s Daytime Emmy reel for 2026. We suspect the actor is looking at a bookend award.
1. Jane Elliot (Tracy, GH)
From her debut as Tracy Angelica Quartermaine in 1978, Daytime Emmy-winner Jane Elliot has had a firm grasp on her character. She began her run as Edward (David Lewis) and Lila’s (Anna Lee) spoiled daughter, who steamrolled over anyone who got in her way. This year, she was tasked with saying goodbye to her sister-in-law Monica (the late Leslie Charleson). It’s not lost on Elliot that Tracy spent most of her adult life fighting family members who are all gone now. She didn’t always have a great relationship with nephew Jason (Steve Burton). However, immediately after Monica’s passing, Elliot shifted Tracy into a maternal protective mode, telling Jason not to interact with authorities that came to the mansion. She quipped that Jason was “allergic to law enforcement…The last thing Monica would want is you carted off in handcuffs…the last thing I want.” Elliot’s Tracy was nearly left speechless when she learned what viewers had already guessed: Monica left her house to Tracy. So, in case you’re wondering, “It’s Tracy’s. Monica gave it to her.”
Conversation9 Comments
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T
Where is Erika Slezak for outstanding guest performance as Monica 's sister Veronica Bard? It was a pleasure seeing her in action again.
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L
Where is Steve Burton?!
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C
Steve Burton has shown so many emotional levels like nobody else and everything is believable. This man deserves awards and so does Jane.
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E
Amelia Heinle should have been given props for carrying that horrible death Cole storyline that got treated like crap by Griffith that she brought her A Game for anyways.
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G
English, please.
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G
It was here today gone tomorrow for Cole. Poor guy didn't even warrant a cliffhanger. Amelia s a real team player
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M
Kudos for putting Jane Elliot as #1. She was on top of her game this year, has shown some vulnerability that was unseen before and has never looked more beautiful.
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L
I can't believe Rick Hearst, Nancy Lee Grahan, Erika Slezak, and Sharon Case aren't on this list. They definitely brought their "A" games.
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Sharon Case spent all season in tears. Big omission
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